A tired driver is not a safe driver. Lack of rest makes drivers less attentive and slows reaction time. A tired semi-truck driver can be especially dangerous for anyone in their path simply because a fully loaded tractor-trailer weighs 10 to 15 times more than the average passenger car and requires significantly more stopping time and distance. 

When a fatigued truck driver fails to reduce speed in time to avoid a collision, serious injuries or death can result. These semi-truck accidents often make headlines because of their severity. Here are some semi- truck crash headlines from the Chicago area and around Illinois just for the month of June.

Ever had a vehicle in front of you kick up a rock or other piece of road debris that hits your car or windshield? It happens to most drivers at least once in their lifetime. The resulting damage to your vehicle is generally minor and covered by your auto insurance if you carry comprehensive coverage. But what if you encounter a much more severe road hazard such as cargo spilled by a commercial truck? If the cargo in a semi-trailer or dump truck is improperly loaded and secured, the load can shift in transit, causing the driver to lose control, tip over, and spill their entire load onto the roadway. If you or a loved one suffers severe injury as a result of a semi-truck accident like this, you may have a cause of action against the truck operator. 

Cargo spills sometimes result from a semi-truck collision with another vehicle. In this situation, other vehicles typically slow to avoid the accident and thereby avoid hitting the spilled goods. However, some cargo spills have tragic consequences.

Throughout the United States, thousands of Americans are injured in accidents involving commercial trucks each year. Due to the sheer size of most commercial vehicles, collisions involving standard cars are often devastating. In many cases, commercial trucking accidents are caused by the negligent actions of the trucking company or the truck driver. If you or a loved one are injured in a commercial trucking collision, seek experienced legal guidance immediately. 

Commercial Truck Accident Statistics 

With millions of commercial trucks on the road each day, trucking accidents are common and often horrific. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were nearly 3,900 fatal commercial trucking accidents in 2016. In all, more than 100,000 Americans suffered injuries that required hospitalization after being involved in a truck crash. While some trucking accidents are unavoidable, many are directly related to the reckless actions of an employee. 

Every year, thousands of commercial trucking accidents occur throughout the United States. Many of these accidents are caused by reckless driving, such as speeding, inebriated driving, and drowsy driving. While driver error is the leading cause of commercial trucking accidents, a large number of these accidents have nothing to do with driver negligence and are actually caused by inadequate or improper maintenance. 

Commercial trucking companies have a responsibility to adequately maintain their vehicles to ensure the safety of the public. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving a tractor-trailer truck, it is entirely possible that the accident was caused by negligence at the company level. 

Common Forms of Improper Truck Maintenance 

Despite stringent regulatory programs designed to ensure that commercial trucks never become part of a traveling fleet without receiving proper maintenance, commercial trucking companies throughout the United States continue to overlook basic maintenance procedures. These oversights can endanger the drivers and passengers of other vehicles, pedestrians, and anyone else who uses the roads. 

Throughout 2016, approximately 4,500 Americans lost their lives in accidents involving large commercial vehicles. This incredible number of fatalities involving commercial trucks and buses marked a 5% increase in comparison to 2015. 

Commercial truck drivers have a responsibility to drive safely, since the sheer size of their vehicles gives them the potential to cause a great deal of damage to standard passenger vehicles. Of all the fatalities involving large commercial vehicles in 2016, only 16% of those killed were the drivers of the commercial vehicles. If you or a member of your family have been injured in a truck accident, you should work with a legal team that will protect your right to compensation from the parties who were responsible.

Forms of Negligence by Truck Drivers

Despite the fact that all truck drivers are forced to go through rigorous training programs and testing before receiving their commercial driver’s license (CDL), hundreds of truck drivers throughout the United States drive negligently and endanger others on the road. Some common ways of doing so include: